George Ceslaus Rutten

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George Ceslaus Rutten

• A Social Scientist
• in the Service of the Workers

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Social Theology

• Flanders 1875-1952
• Combined study of social science theology
• 1900 doctorate on socialist action strikes in
  mines, where he worked
• Supported by the Master, opposed by his
  provincial
• Inaugurated course on CST at Mechelen seminary
• First chair of CST at Louvain

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Mining Experience

• PhD made empirical sociology acceptable to
  Catholic academia
• Social survey technique of participant
  observation
• Before all else we wanted to see the workers
  themselves, talking with tem in the pits,
  preferably descending into the deepest mine
  shafts as well as the most damp dark, becoming
  for even a few instants turn by turn a digger, an
  extractor hauling coal in order to allow the
  miners to feel comfortable with us. We arrived
  slowly but surely to hear them talk openly about
  their complaints the reasons for their
  strikes.

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Countering Socialism

• Need for employers to understand workers
• socialism was growing because they did not
• Socialist workers movement successful as
  organised solidarity
• Catholics had to offer an alternative structure
• Rutten promoted Christian workers movement
  within the Belgische Volksbond (Belgium
  Democratic League)

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• The socialists have an undeniable advantage over
  us, thanks to the benefit of the spirit of
  solidarity among the workers which they gain by
  uniting them through professional unions
  co-operatives The economic remedies the social
  institutions, such as they are, set up a fragile
  barrier against the flood of socialism, without a
  moral force which can assure their efficiency
  stability

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Corporations or Unions?

• Christian corporatism (George Helleputte)
• invoked Rerum Novarum on right of association,
  for corporations
• Graves de Communi Christian democracy as
  Christian action on behalf of the people
• mixed unions employers workers together
• not pure unions promoting class struggle
• Rutten diplomatic
• brought diverse parties together
• agreed with Graves de Communi definition of
  democracy
• yet aimed to create an autonomous Catholic labour
  union
• 1904 founded workers union which became Syndicat
  général chrétien
• 1912 architect of AVC Federation of Christian
  Unions
• 1921 founded Ligue des travailleurs chrétiens

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Three Evils Three Remedies

• 1905 popular study on Aquinas Rerum Novarum
• Lordre social selon la doctrine de S. Thomas
  dAquin et lencclique Rerum novarum
• identifies social evils of industrialisation as
  pauperism, capitalism socialism
• remedies are emancipation of the working class,
  workers unions, employment legislation

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la promotion

• Empowerment of workers, especially education, was
  Ruttens life project
• Social weeks from 1908 on French model
• École Supérieure pour travailleurs
• founded in OP collaboration
• for formation of worker leaders organisers
• Manuel détudes et daction sociale (1911)
• aimed at young priests in social apostolate
• appreciated by Belgian socialists

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Parliamentarian

• Senator co-opted by Catholic Party 1921-46
• Advisor
• commissions on labour teaching
• helped improve laws on family benefits, worker
  health safety, co-operatives
• Mediator conciliator
• impartial as co-opted, but not subject to party
  directives
• Represented Flemish interests to French-speakers
• context where 2/3 of civil servants did not speak
  Flemish, unlike most workers
• campaigned for university education in Flemish,
  for Ghent
• all judicial administrative affairs should be
  in Flemish for the Flemish

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